A high beam control system is known having an imaging means, for example a mono camera, adapted to detect and track bright spots in the recorded images originating from the headlights of oncoming vehicles in a detection range of typically 300 m to 1000 m. If detected bright spots are assigned to an oncoming vehicle, a high beam control device is operated to switch off the high beam lights, or to adapt the shape of the high beam light cone, in order to avoid dazzling of the oncoming driver. However, at least for the period of time in which the headlight detection takes place, dazzling of the oncoming driver cannot be avoided. Furthermore, if the oncoming vehicle is hidden to the imaging means until a relatively short distance, for example behind an obstacle like a hill, trees, structures or because of a sharp turn, a sufficiently early detection of the oncoming vehicle can be difficult and the dazzling of the oncoming driver may not be avoided. Generally it is desirable to detect oncoming vehicles as early as possible, for example already at large distances beyond 1000 m, allowing a reaction at a time where the dazzling effect is still small.